A large number of processes for the preparation of halogenated 1,2-disilaethanes are known. Thus, they are obtainable via hydrosilylation reactions. For example, the preparation of 1,2-bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)ethane is carried out via the hydrosilylation reaction between chlorodimethylsilane and chlorodimethylvinylsilane. The hydrosilylation reactions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,041,362, 3,497,539, 3,220,972, 3,674,739, DE-A 2 131 74 1 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,252 (Wacker-Chemie GmbH, published on Mar. 19, 1974) and DE-A 2 131 742 (Wacker-Chemie GmbH, laid open on Dec. 28, 1972).
Further processes for the preparation of 1,2- bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)-ethane are chlorination reactions of bis(trimethylsilyl)ethane (Kumada et al., J. ORGANOMET. CHEM. 1967, 10(1), 111-119, and Ishikawa et al., J. ORGANOMET. CHEM. 1970, 23(1), 63-69). It is also known that halogenated 1,2-disilaethanes can be prepared by reacting disilanes with organyl chlorides or HCl (H. Sakurai et al., TETRAHEDRON LETT. 1966, 45, 5493-7). 1, 2-Bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)ethane is also obtainable via the hydrosilylation of dimethylmethoxyvinylsilane with chlorodimethylsilane (Suryanarayanan et al., J. ORGANOMET. CHEM. 1973, 55(1), 65-71).
DE-A 2 131 741 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,252 (Wacker-Chemie GmbH, published on Mar. 19, 1974), DE-A2 131 742 (Wacker-Chemie GmbH, laid open on Dec. 28, 1972) and DE-A 2 001 303 (Wacker-Chemie GmbH, laid open on Jul. 22, 1971) describe halogenated 1,2-disilaethanes, such as 1,2-bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)ethane, as solvents in the preparation of alkenylsilanes, such as chlorodimethylvinylsilane.